


From The Southern Seas

by RedNovemberMoon



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-06
Updated: 2020-04-11
Packaged: 2021-03-01 20:01:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 9,356
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23512813
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RedNovemberMoon/pseuds/RedNovemberMoon
Summary: A new student arrives to Garrag Mach from an unknown faraway land, much to the intrigue of the Three House leaders and Professor Byleth.
Comments: 1
Kudos: 5





	1. Garrag Mach: Day One

**Author's Note:**

> Has it been 7 years since I last wrote a fanfic? Yes  
> Did I enjoy myself immensely and wonder why I ever stopped? Also yes.
> 
> Hello reader, I miss having nerd friends to geek out with, so here I am!  
> I hope you enjoy the first chapter, I would love & appreciate feedback or general FE3H fangirling  
> I have not put relationship tags because I haven't decided that sort of thing...  
> 

Byleth was fed up with new students showing up willy nilly. Didn’t these kids know how to enroll on time? He hated starting from scratch and was hyper-aware of the catching up they had to do as soon they arrived. The pressure he could handle... but a bratty noble? Not so much. He could forgive the Ashen Wolves’ late arrival to the party, they were living underground after all. Besides, they could hold their own. He was starting to wonder why they were even bothering with his classes. Yuri was a great leader in his own right. He had stunned Byleth with his sword fighting and tricks. Even Claude had to admit that Yuri was a talented schemer. Byleth shouldn’t worry so much, the four new members to his house were happy and there can always be improvements made. He enjoyed their quirky behavior in the class and the way the others were taken aback by them.

Byleth did take quiet delight in shaking up his students. His face would never let them know, of course. He remained the stony face professor, gauging their reactions both in battle and in the classroom. He judged the fronts they put up and made mental notes to challenge them. Any walls between him and his students were a weakness. They needed to trust him, for him to trust them. This was made easier by their age gap but Byleth needed to keep pushing. This meant lots of tea-sipping and lots of shared meals. Byleth grew up in a mercenary camp. He knew the value of exchanging conversations over food and drink. And it was working. He could see the students improving with their training and when it came to vanquishing bandits as per Rhea’s request it was as easy as pie. He was proud of his students and he admitted it to Jeralt when he poked. His father seemed somewhat shocked that his son was showing...passion?

Byleth was returning to his quarters after another failed attempt of coaxing Bernadetta out of her room. He wasn’t disheartened. At least Edelgard didn’t have to drag the girl to classes anymore. She came willingly and eventually she had begun to stay for the entire lesson. Byleth didn’t want to push too much. Baby steps. 

The sun was dying the sky a misty shade of orange. Byleth’s eyes were drooping from the long day. He was somewhat glad Bernadetta didn’t emerge from her room. He could rest now, maybe get a full night’s sleep. Maybe he would- he could see Seteth standing outside his room. So much for that idea.

“Good evening, professor,” he said, his monotone voice still showing distrust for Byleth.

“Good evening, Seteth,” Byleth responded, equally emotionless. His eye caught the roll of parchment tucked under Seteth’s arm before he even handed it over.

“A dossier,” Seteth simply put.

“About?” Byleth pushed.

“Seems you have a new student,” Seteth replied, putting his hand behind his back. “Please read through carefully. Lady Rhea would like a meeting first thing in the morning.”

“Very well, goodnight.”

Byleth pushed the door of his room open and quickly shut it behind him before Seteth could give him any more work. So much for an evening off. Byleth unrolled the parchment and laid it out flat on his desk. He frowned. He did not recognize the country of birth: Spairus. Spairus? Now he had to read more.

The scroll informed him that Spairus was a southern country, away off the coast of the Adrestian Empire. Its occupants had only recently made contact with Fodhlan, hence why Byleth had not heard of it. They had sailed northwards across the southern sea in mighty ships that none of Fodhlan had seen before. They sailed right into Aegir territory but their king had disembarked bringing gifts that were given to the Prime Minister. Duke Aegir was so impressed he dared not attack. At least not until they were properly investigated.

Very few had been told of the encounter, but rumors did spread and it spread to Lady Rhea. Lady Rhea was always keen to gather more people into the Church of Seiros and it did appear that the people of Spairus had yet to hear of the goddess. So, a student, a princess had been invited to study at Garrag Mach.

***

The students piled into the lecture hall. Some of them, like the likes of Lindhart still had bedhead, the rest yawned and gripped onto cups of coffee for dear life. Byleth had the joy of teaching them first thing in the morning. He had half the mind to give them a warning that someone new would be joining their class, but again, he enjoyed shaking them up. There was no better way to wake up young people than to supply them with gossip material. He may as well throw his lesson plan out the window, but Rhea wanted to impress the new princess. Byleth stood at the desk, successfully covering a smile. His eyes scanned the room before landing on the three house leaders, sitting together near the front of the room.

Claude had his hands wrapped around the back off his head, nestled deep into his tussles of dark hair. His eyes were drooping. Beside him, Edelgard looked annoyed, as usual. It was only a matter of time before she would give up on making attempts to get along with Claude. Byleth could see her tolerance for him break down each day that past. Dimitri was his favorite of the three. He wouldn’t admit it out loud, but even now his blue eyes were bright with intrigue, ready to learn. He looked like he was one of the few that went to bed at a reasonable hour. They did not have exams, only relatively easy homework. So the students had clearly spent the night talking after hours. Byleth couldn’t give them any pity for that. 

Time ticked on, Byleth was waiting for the new student who was running late. A great first impression. He sat at the desk and listened to murmuring grow steadily louder. This seemed to awaken Claude, who opened one lazy eye to peer around the room. Byleth could see the Deer’s cogs turn, why hadn’t they started?

Byleth stared ahead as a knock turned everyone’s attention to the door. Seteth strode in followed by the new student. Everyone seemed to lean forward in their seats, just the reaction Byleth hoped for. Now they were awake. 

“Good morning, students,” Seteth greeted, entirely ignoring Byleth. He seemed agitated by the whispering, but what was he expecting? “We have a new student.”

The whispering immediately turned to outright chatter. Seteth let out a sigh.

“Yes, yes, very exciting,” he said, grabbing their attention. “Please, let us all work together in welcoming Princess Octavia Sorena of Spairus.”

Princess Octavia stepped forward and gave a small bow to her classmates. She had her long jet black hair was scraped back into a high ponytail, pulling it away from her heart-shaped face. Her eyebrows were finely plucked but somewhat close together, giving her a permanent soft scowl. Her sun-kissed skin was peppered with freckles. She held her chin high, with confidence, but Byleth could tell it was for show. The princess had her walls up. She was wearing the Garrag Mach Uniform, but it was emerald in the places where it should have been red, yellow or blue. Either she had chosen to not join a house or Lady Rhea wanted her to stand out. Maybe there were plans for a fourth house.

The three house leaders looked at one another in the same way they did when they met Byleth. They wanted to claim the new asset for the Empire, for the Alliance or for the Kingdom. Between them, Byleth could see the beginning of a competition. Byleth could also see Sylvain practically salivating in the back row with Ingrid nudging him, urging him to put his eyes back into his skull. Felix sat with them, his arms crossed and annoyed the class had yet to start. Hilda leaned forward and whispered something to Leonie and Mercedes in front of her. Beside her, Dorethea grinned. Byleth looked back to Octavia. The poor girl had no idea what kind of bunch she was about to be thrown to.

He gestured to an empty seat in the front row next to Petra. He was glad there was a space there. Petra might be able to put the girl at ease, even if she didn’t want to show her nerves. Seteth left the room after telling the Princess to let him know if there’s anything she required. When the door shut behind him. Byleth sighed, knowing everyone would be distracted for these next two hours or so and the house leaders were NOT setting a good example. Even Dimitri was leaning forward to have a gawk.

However, to his surprise, the students did engage in the lesson. The first was Leonie, whose hand shot up to ask a question regarding battalion formation. Was the triangular formation the most effective? She answered her own question giving reasons why it was and why it wasn’t. Casper, to Byleth (and Casper's) surprise, piped up basically saying “who cares lemme at ‘em!” To which Ashe responded with the idea that you needed to have people to win a war, not to run in blindly swinging an axe. Casper scowled as debate rose in the class. Byleth quickly realized what was going on. They were showing off... or showing Fodhlan brilliance. He didn’t care, the classes had become dead recently, this was far more enjoyable especially prodding at his student’s theories. He glanced over at Octavia. For the first time ever, he understood why some students felt uncomfortable under his own gaze. She was giving him a stony-faced look.

He suddenly felt self conscious. What were the classes in Spairus like? Did she find this debate childish? Mediocre?

“Hm, what an odd one,” Sothis said to him, and he agreed. “Perhaps it’s a cultural thing? Very curious.”

He decided to ignore her unless she raised her hand, which she didn’t. He had other students to focus on.

When the class was over, she was first to stand. She had yet to get books or quills and had borrowed parchment from Petra to take a few notes, which she stuffed into her pocket. As everyone else packed away their things their eyes were trained on her as she walked up to the professor’s desk.

“Thank you for the lesson, sir,” she said, her voice quiet but steady. “I found it intriguing.”

Byleth was somewhat stunned. “Y-you’re welcome, but I do hope once you settle in you’ll give us your thoughts. I’m sure you can tell this is a lively class.”

“Indeed. I do not have a lot of experience fighting on land yet. I hope to change that.”

Byleth simply nodded, he had papers to correct. He could see Sylvain lurking though. He picked up the papers and stood beside Octavia, ready to walk her out.

“What class do you have now?” he asked politely.

“It is with Doctor Hanneman.”

“Professor,” Byleth correct, though he didn’t know why. “I will walk you there-”

“There is no need, Petra has offered.”

“Oh! Oh good! Well, good day then.”

***

“You will be enjoying Garrag Mach,” Petra said, in an attempt to make conversation with Octavia. She had her magenta eyes ahead, fixed on the red-haired boy being dragged to the next class by Ingrid. “Learning can be difficulty.... Difficult, but it is great joy!”

Octavia gave her a small smile.

“If you are wanting, it is my wish that you are sitting with me.”

“Thank you, Petra.”

“Have no worries, I have understanding.”

“I have a lot to learn.”

“As do I! Let us be helping each other.”

Their next class was much smaller, a select few had signed up for it. Petra brought them over to empty seats next to Leonie.

“Hey there! I’m Leonie!” she greeted kindly, holding out her hand. Octavia took it and gave her a firm handshake. There was frantic whispering coming from the back of the room. The three girls turned to see Ingrid bickering with… or at Sylvain as he tried to hush her. Eventually, she folded her arms and huffed. Sylvain grinned and gave a small wave to the girls.

“Be careful of that one,” Leonie said as they faced the front again. She rolled her eyes. “He’s a self-proclaimed lady’s man.”

Professor Hanneman entered the room and without so much as a greeting, he started reading from a book. Thus began their second lesson of the day. Octavia frowned, trying to keep up. Petra had pushed their book into the middle of them but the words were not matching to what he was saying. She looked up and realized Petra and Leonie were looking at him, not the book. Octavia scowled and raised her hand, stopping Hanneman in his tracks.

“Er- ugh- yes- ugh Octavia isn’t it? Welcome Octavia, I should have introduced-”

“Sir,” she interrupted. “What in God’s name is a Crest?”

A pin dropping would have echoed around that room. Hanneman processed, taking her in. Was she serious or was this a new joke?

“How does she not know what a Crest is?”

“Sylvain, shut up,” Ingrid hissed.

Hanneman peered over his monocle at the silence’ interruption.

“Mr. Gautier, I did not know you were enrolled in this class.”

“Well, I- er…” Sylvain stuttered, turning the colour of his hair.

“Would you please explain Crests to Miss Sorena please.”

“Well, this class isn’t about Crests, I suggest Miss Sorena takes up a class in order to-”

“If this isn’t a class on Crests then why are we talking about them?” Octavia asked, bluntly.

Leonie covered her mouth with her hand to conceal her laugh. Lady Edelgard glanced over her shoulder, fine eyebrows raised. 

“...Very well then,” Hanneman resigned reply came and he turned back to the book. 

Her classmates were staring at her. Her father had warned her about being blunt.

***

“Do you have training practice after lunch?” Leonie asked.

“Yes, I do,” Octavia replied, already feeling wary of how long of a day it had been, but it’ll be better moving about than sitting in a dingy classroom.

“Fantastic! We can walk over together!” Leonie said enthusiastically. Octavia gifted her with a smile.

“Sure, that sounds great. What about you Petra?”

“I will be weeding with Lady Edelgard,” she replied, her voice showing disappointment in being separated. 

“Let’s have lunch together!” Leonie suggested. Petra and Octavia nodded back. 

Octavia was starving and the smell coming from the mess hall was delicious. She was told it was Daphnel Stew today, whatever that meant. They carried their trays to an empty table. Petra and Leonie sat opposite Octavia and dove right into their meal. Octavia lifted her fork and poked at the meat and onion mix. It was different from the lighter dishes back home, but she would give it a try. She was so hungry she would probably eat dirt. The two girls began to chat about the classes they had had this morning and when they would get their homework done.

“What is up with Professor Byleth?” Octavia questioned. The two girls smirked at each other.

“He is giving useful lessons,” Petra said, and Leonie agreed.

“He’s an ex-mercenary. He’s Captain Jeralt son-”

“Captain Jeralt? The Blade Breaker?”

Leonie gave a squeal of delight.

“Captain Jeralt is so great! Even you know who he is! And you don’t even know what Crests are!”

“Yes, that was interesting,” a voice from behind Octavia said. “Mind if I sit?”

“Lady Edelgard! Yes!”

Edelgard set her tray down and swung her leg over the bench and sat. A very tall, creepy guy sat beside Edelgard. Octavia was glad there was someone between her and him.

“So you don’t have Crests in Spairus?” Edelgard questioned.

“Obviously not,” Octavia replied. Bluntness, O, bluntness!

“If you don’t have Crests, how are your leaders chosen?”

Octavia stared at her blankly. She clearly needed to figure out this crest business. It seemed more important than what she had been assuming rather than a side note from a rambling professor.

“We prove ourselves to the nation and God declares us the victor.”

“You don’t believe in the Goddess?” Edelgard asked, leaning closer.

“Eh, no. He’s a man, I guess.”

“And how do you prove yourself?”

“Every family can put forth a son or daughter in certain challenges to prove that they are a worthy leader. I happen to be a favorite due to my father being the reigning king. I hope to follow in his footsteps.”

“Is that why you’ve come to Garrag Mach? Because your father can afford to send you here?”

Octavia raised her brows at the other Empress.

“I came here to learn. I came here because my siblings and brethren were too afraid to live in an unknown land.”

“I see, very brave of you,” Edelgard responded, but Octavia could not tell if she meant those words.

“Very well, we will help you with your studies. Right, Petra?”

“Definitely!”

Leonie gave her a firm nod too, despite not being included in the loop. Octavia appreciated it all the same. Whatever about Princess Edelgard, Leonie and Petra seemed genuine. She wouldn’t need their help though, she could do this all on her own.

***

Octavia had the opportunity to meet the Blade Breaker after lunch. It was a rare occasion, but he was giving a training lesson. The look of determination of Leonie’s face was frankly terrifying. She was ready to show Jeralt what she was made of and would flatten anyone in her way. Octavia felt herself admiring the girl. She had a goal and she was going to achieve it. The red-haired boy from earlier was present. He stood over by a golden-haired boy leaning on his lance and chatting away. His female companion was distancing herself, she needed a break from babysitting. There were only roughly 10 of them in this class, so Octavia was certain they would get acquainted, especially when she pummelled them into the ground. She might not know how Fodhlan worked but she knew how to handle a lance. 

They started on practice dummies at first. Captain Jeralt circled the training ground, checking to make sure their techniques were correct and safe. He stood by Octavia for an excruciatingly long time as if waiting for her to mess up, but she did not make any mistakes. After he was certain of her skill and corrected the others, he ordered them to find a sparring partner. Leonie began to cross the training ground to join Octavia, but the golden-haired boy got to her first.

“Who taught you how to fight?” he asked. “I’d love for you to show me your technique.”

“My father,” Octavia replied, their training lances knocking off each other. “My people favor the spear.”

“So you must be good on horseback?” he grunted, attempting to push her back. His face glistened from sweat, as did Octavia’s more than likely.

“Not necessarily,” she shoved. “Hoping to improve on that while I’m here.”

They stopped talking and focused on their sparring. Octavia had to admit that he was good. He almost caught her a few times but she was light on her feet and although he was tall, when she swiped for his head he ducked much quicker than expected. 

Jeralt called for a break, which they were both grateful for.

“Your father taught you well,” the boy panted. He held out a hand. “Dimitri.”

“Nice to meet you Dimitri,” she replied, taking his hand and shaking it. They made their way over to the benches, where their towels and water flasks were.

“He seems like an interesting man. I hope you don’t mind, but Edelgard explained how your leaders are chosen. He must be a tough warrior if he is King.”

“Yes, well, it wasn’t easy,” she replied, slowly. Status seemed to be very important here in Fodhlan and she daren’t say much more on the matter.

“My apologies,” Dimitri chuckled, bashfully. “You must be overwhelmed by our curiosity.”

Octavia shrugged her shoulders. “As long as you answer some questions for me, I don’t mind.”

“Of course, anything you need help with, let me know.”

***

Octavia’s first day at Garrag Mach had been exhausting. She sparred with several other students, including Lorenz. What a charming, full-on guy. She managed to avoid Sylvain, due to Ingrid getting in his way. Octavia was grateful, the first day was no time for flirting. She was overwhelmed as it was, though she would not admit that to her new peers. She preferred to spar with Leonie. Leonie just wanted to practice. She didn’t want Octavia’s life story. Octavia appreciated that. The two of them walked to dinner together and met back up with Petra. They were later joined by a bubbly girl with pink hair, Hilda. Octavia decided she liked Hilda instantly. She talked about simple things, like hair products. It was relaxing after a day of interrogation. She was sure deeper conversations would come for her over the next few days. After she finished her meal, she excused herself. She returned to her quarters, had a nice warm shower in which she felt all the stress melt away. She put on a pair of leather pants and a soft linen top and slunk off to the library.

There were few students in the library, including one green-haired boy and one white-haired girl. Did Fodhlan have a steady supply of hair dye? Octavia made her way over to the books on magic. She had a serious interest in magic. No one in Spairus was capable of magic, she had never seen the likes of it before landing in Aegir territory. Fascinating, she was jealous that anyone from Fodhlan could experience such a phenomenon and have such a lax response to it. On the way to the correct section, she passed by a few books on Crests. She rolled her eyes and took one, without much thought. She found a table with the correct kind of lighting and opened the book on magic, but Crests intrigued her and she quickly changed the subject.

“Hello, Princess,” greeted a voice. 

Not even through the first page, Octavia sighed.

“Claude von Reigan,” she replied, not looking up from the book.

“Ooft. Do we know each other?” he asked, sitting opposite her.

“No,” she said, closing the book. “But the other two have already spoken to me, it was only a matter of time.”

He gave her a pleasant smile, a smile that did not reach his eyes.

“Aww, Princess! Did I keep you waiting?” he teased. Octavia raised her brow at him.

“Can I help you with something? I’m trying to study.”

Claude clasped his hands behind his head. “You’re working too hard for your first day, Princess.”

“I’ve a lot to learn,” she explained, lowering her voice. The green-haired boy had shot them a dirty look. It was a library, to be fair. Claude reached across the table and snatched the book from her. He had a look at the cover while she folded her arms impatiently.

“Ah, Fodhlan, the wonderful land of Crests. You know, Princess, I could just answer all your questions over tea.”

“Thank you for your offer,” she muttered, taking the book back. “But I don’t know enough to question.”

Claude snorted in amusement. “You’ll have loads, don’t worry.”

“Pardon?”

“Nothing... I am serious, Princess, join me for tea sometime. You’ve piqued my curiosity. I’d like to pick your brains,” he said, nodding to the book.

“Very well,” she sighed. “Now leave me alone.”

Claude breathed a laugh. “Alright then.”

He got up and began to leave. “See ya Linhardt!”

“Shut uuuup!” the green-haired boy whinged. He appeared to be trying to get his book to swallow him alive.

Linhardt was her silent companion for the rest of the evening. Her eyes began to droop and the words on the page blurred together. Lindhardt had fallen asleep and woke abruptly when the elderly librarian asked them to leave. They walked back to the dormitory in silence, which Octavia preferred. They simply yawned a farewell and went their separate ways. Octavia flopped onto the bed, the first day was over. She hadn’t time to think of home. She would probably dream of the Ten Elite and golden pulsing weapons.


	2. Garrag Mach: Day 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Octavia struggles to adjust. The other students notice.

There were no classes the next morning, but Octavia was up. She had to have a meeting with Rhea first and then she would have breakfast and hopefully have the training ground to herself. The dormitory was quiet, people were still soundly asleep. They were probably due a rest, but it was only Octavia’s second day. She dressed quickly and made her way to the audience chamber. She waited outside the door, hearing a murmured exchange on the other side. The door opened and she came face to face with Professor Byleth.

“Good afternoon, Professor,” she greeted.

Octavia could not read the professor’s expression. He looked almost angry at her. His eyes were so blank. She wondered what was going on inside his head. It seemed like nothing. Even his response to her greeting was empty. Just a nod. She watched the professor walk to leave by the stairwell.

“Octavia,” Rhea called, her voice projected by the emptiness of the auditorium. Octavia focused and went through the door, closing it behind her. The room was not completely empty. There were two knights near the door, a young boy furiously mopping the floor and Seteth.

“We hope you’re settling in well,” Seteth said as she approached them. Rhea gave her a warm smile, tilting her head to the side.

Octavia didn’t know what to think of Lady Rhea. She had been generous in offering places to people of Spairus. Octavia had been the only one to accept, as she had truthfully told Edelgard the previous day. The people were afraid of Lady Rhea and her zealotry. Before making contact with Fodhlan, her father, King Miron had already sent spies posing as merchants into Fodhlan. This was simply to see the key figures of Fodhlan, who was important and who was not. She would keep that information to herself. A lot of news returned to Spairus about the Archbishop and she did sound terrifying in her determination to subdue Fodhlan to loyalty to the goddess. Surely Rhea knew that Octavia did not believe in the goddess? Spairans believed in a God. Octavia believed in God and Lady Rhea would not be able to convert her. Not by conventional means anyway. Would Lady Rhea resort to violence if Octavia resisted?

Her smiling face made that difficult to believe. Lady Rhea had not even mentioned the goddess to Octavia. She was probably biding her time. The book about crests she read last night had only confused her anyway. She wasn’t ready for theological debate.

“Yes, I am, thank you,” Octavia replied.

“I’m glad to hear,” Rhea said pleasantly. “Please, let your people know that the invitation remains open.”

Octavia’s face nearly fell. The last thing she wanted was for more of her kind taking advantage of this opportunity. She wanted this to be unique to her. She was going to return to Spairus with a different background. One that included magic. The thought of others… even her brothers… joining her filled her with dread. She wanted to leave immediately and go to the training ground.  
She just nodded at Rhea.

“We were just discussing with Professor Byleth about your first battle. Of course, there are duties over the duration of the month but... Do you think you’d be ready to join the student’s at their end of month tasks?” Seteth questioned.

“I’m willing to try. I explained to the Professor we don’t usually fight on land.”

Rhea and Seteth stared at her.

“We really love ships,” she explained.

Spairus had the best navy in the world. Octavia was certain of that and she was certain Fodhlan had never seen the likes of it, but if Spairus needed to attack Fodhlan they wouldn’t get very far. They could take a seaside town but disembarking and traversing the land would be a challenge. Spairan’s had pride in their ships, so when they did attack each other it was usually out at sea. A tradition that Octavia saw some flaws in. There were no surprise attacks, all battles had a chosen date and the parties would meet at sea. Spairans saw honour in this tradition and any other way was cowardly. They would have to get over that should Fodhlan declare war on them. Octavia did not know if there would be peace in the future. It would depend on if she won the crown or not.

“Your safety will be ensured,” said Seteth, the first to recover. “Professor Byleth has returned all our students in one piece every time.”

What a weird school to endanger their students on a regular basis. All for a grade and to further Lady Rhea’s regime. Octavia liked it though. Fodhlan politics didn’t affect her. By the time it did and if it did she would have plenty of knowledge to deal with it as well as in-field training. A real-life close encounter was more effective than an enclosed training ground.

She thanked them and was dismissed. She started toward the mess hall. It felt like an inconvenience because she was so eager to go to the training ground and start her warm-ups, but she wouldn’t do so well on an empty stomach. The monastery was slow to waken. The halls were empty and silent but…

“Why are you following me?” she said aloud.

“So you finally notice me,” they chuckled. His voice was smooth. Octavia turned to face her stalker. A slender man stepped out from the shadows. His violet eyes peered out from his equally purple bangs.

“How long have you been following me?”

He smirked.

“Let’s just say I’m looking forward to tea time with the future Duke of the Alliance!”

The stranger gauged her reaction as he approached. She offered a scowl and crossed her arms. She noticed the white off the shoulder keep. This guy seemed important, but who was he?

“Someone like you should be wary of assassins.”

“Is that a threat?”

He chuckled. “Not at all.”

The stood for a moment, neither speaking. Each of them trying to suss the other.

“Walk with me,” he said, before starting off towards the mess hall.

“I was going that way anyway,” she grumbled to herself. She prepared for another tactical exchange. He was clearly an important leader and it seemed all of the leaders around here wanted a piece of her. Not that she was not open to discussion, but she had to focus on getting her crown first. Maybe, one of these notable characters could help her somehow? She needed to think on that. As far as she knew, there were only three countries in Fodhlan, so who was this fourth person?

“I see you’re interested in magic. I could help you with that.”

Octavia furrowed her brow.

“And in return?” she asked. He glanced sideways at her, his lip curling upwards.

“Don’t you worry your pretty little head about that. But it will be more than a cup of tea.”

They came to a stop in the grounds, two paths diverged in separate directions. Octavia stared blankly at him. What could he possibly want? What was she willing to do to learn magic? All of a sudden, she felt her mind changing about what Rhea said. She was overwhelmed. There were too many players, too many things to learn and to navigate. She felt the hope that someone from Spairus would join her. But even if more students came from home, chances are she would be competing against them. Her father had warned that the race for the crown was a lonely one.

“I’ll let you think on it,” Yuri said, after some time. “See ya ‘round kid.”

And with that, he was gone. It was the first thing in the morning and she felt deflated. Had she decided to do the right thing to come here? She couldn’t return with her tail between her legs… A good few hours of whacking a dummy would surely help! She carried on with her plans, thankfully there were only a few people eating breakfast and she didn’t recognize any of them. She ate up quickly and strode over to the training ground.

One person had got there before her. A boy named Felix if she remembered correctly. He gave her one look over, a look similar to disgust and continued batting at a dummy with his sword. She felt her shoulders slump. Why was she so sensitive today? She needed to shake this mood off and focus! She sat on a wooden bench and wrapped up her hands to protect them from splinters. She picked up a lance and began to practice. Octavia had memorised warmups taught to her by her father. She started with them. She let her frustration and anger bubble up and out through the lance and took it all out on the wooden dummy that would eventually crack in half.

“Impressive,” remarked Felix. He tossed a sword at Octavia. Her reflexes reacted before her mind did. He hadn’t even asked. “Spar with me.”

“Alright then,” she agreed.

She wasn’t going to pass up the opportunity. However, as she explained to Dimitri, her people preferred lances. They were great for catching fish in streams. They were heavier than an arrow and so throwing them across water at the opposition was easier. They kept enemies at a distance giving soldiers the ability to topple their foe off the ships and into the water. But how hard could it be? A sword was just a shorter weapon. Wrong. Felix disarmed her within seconds. The sword flew from her arms and into the grass.

“Pick it up,” he ordered.

Octavia crouched down and grabbed the handle. She lunged from that position, sword directed for his chest and- he stepped aside and she ran right past him. He turned on the spot and his sword came to rest at the back of her neck.

“Try again.”

Octavia huffed and turned to face him. He spun the hilt of his sword in one hand, watching her stance. The whacking and smacking of the wooden swords echoed through the training ground. Again, he hit her sword aside and his came into contact with her sternum. Octavia could feel fury boiling up inside her. He didn’t speak this time, just stepped back to allow her time to adjust. Neither of them spoke, only their grunts of effort accompanied the thunder of the swords. She didn’t look away from Felix, but she could tell other students were streaming into the yard. They looked on with interest, getting ready slower than usual because they did not want to interrupt. 

The sword flew from her hands. 

HOW?! 

She was breathless, tilting her head back from the sword resting at her jugular.

“You’re weak,” he huffed. He turned away, clearly done with this.

Who the fuck was this kid?!

Octavia picked the sword up.

“Turn back around, asshole!” she shouted at him. It may only be trained and she may be furious but she was not going to attack his back. He looked over his shoulder.

“Hmph,” was his response.

Hmph? Hymph?! Maybe a good throllicking to the back was what he needed! She raised her sword ready to fling it at him when Professor Byleth stepped in. He had picked up his own training sword and used that to stop her.

“Miss Sorena,” he warned. Octavia instantly cooled down. How could she forget who she was? Everyone was staring at her! 

“No matter how infuriating Mr Fraldarius is, there’s no honour in attacking when someone’s back is turned.”

Octavia folded her arms. She knew he was right, but she just wanted to leave the grounds and run from her embarrassment.

“Come,” Byleth said, putting a hand on her shoulder and bringing her away from the small formed crowd. He brought her to another training dummy.

“I was watching...as was everyone else.”

She prickled, tensing her shoulders.

“You weren’t awful. It’s just that Felix is… well, Felix.”

Byleth showed her some moves to practice and left her to drill. Her body was screaming at her to take a break. Every muscle ached. Her lungs were strained and her heart pounded against its cage. But she kept going, determined to feel stronger after the training and not the weakling Felix had titled her. Other students were warming up, drilling and sparring. Then the professors called out to them. Octavia’s body thanked them for it, but in her mind she cursed them. She picked up her towel and patted her face as she joined the back of the swarm students.  
Professor Manuela, who Octavia had class with later was reading out names. None of them were hers, so she watched them following the Professor to a far off corner. Next was Hanneman, who thankfully also did not call her name. Which left Byleth.  
Leonie  
Raphael  
Petra  
Lindhart  
Ashe  
Felix  
Sylvain  
Double great! Octavia scowled. Dimitri spoke animatedly to the professor as they crossed the training grounds to their section. The students gathered around the professor and the prince along with Dedue, who never seemed to leave Dimitri’s side.

“Lady Rhea has set us a task for this weekend,” Byleth said simply. He unrolled a scroll and cleared his throat.

“Professor, why aren’t we in our houses?” Leonie asked, curiously.

“Lady Rhea wants to work on ‘Academy Spirit’,” he sighed. His eyes quickly flicked to Octavia and back down to the scroll.

“We’re to disband pirates off the Eastern Coast…”

Pirates! Octavia knew all about fighting pirates! She had so much experience that-

“Excuse me, Professor,” she interrupted. He stopped reading from the scroll and peered around it to look at her. “Can I change groups? It’s just I was hoping to gain experience that I didn’t already have-”

“I want to see what you can do. Not what you can’t do.”

Octavia fell into a dumb silence. Felix sniffed beside her, clearly amused. Byleth kept his wide eyes on her for a second more to see would she say anything, but she didn’t.

“I want you all to spend tomorrow resting. In the afternoon we’ll meet in the Blue Lions classroom. The following day we’ll leave for the shore.”

With that, he left the students to Prince Dimitri. Octavia placed a hand on her hip and turned her attention to him.

“I know some of us haven’t fought together,” he said confidently. “But that should not deter us from our victory! Let us discuss possible tactics.”

He moved around to a wooden table and unfolded a map for them to look at. He went into a long spiel, nodding along to suggestions.

“Octavia.”

Her head snapped up from the map to Dimitri. He pierced her with blue eyes.

“What’s your opinion?”

“I think, get me onto their ship and it’ll be over quick enough,” she replied. He gave her a curt smile. He needed more. He’d never seen her in action.

“Pirates fight like animals,” she shrugged. “They will send a few to fight on land but if the captain lives, they’ll come back. You have to chop the snake’s head off. And captains tend to stay on the ship.”

“She has correctness,” Petra nodded. Brigid would have a somewhat similar experience to Spairus. 

“How do we get onto the ship? We’d need a ship,” Felix grumbled, crossing his arms. Octavia shook her head and pressed her finger to the map.

“How high are these cliffs?”

“Lindhart?”

Empire territory.

Lindhart cast the map a lazy look.

“I mean, they’re cliffs,” he said wearily.

“They have sufficient height,” Petra translated.

“We can’t let her go on her own!” Felix protested, stressing “her.”

“I’ll gladly join the princess,” Sylvain offered, hand on his heart.

“You are too clunky to jump onto a ship,” Leonie waved him off. Their eyes turned to Ashe.

“What?”

“Can you swim?” Octavia asked.

“Sort of, but usually in rivers.”

“I am swimming a lot in Brigid!” Petra said enthusiastically.

“Okay, here’s my idea,” Octavia said. The circle moved closer together.

***

After lunch was the class Octavia long awaited for. Manuela’s white magic lesson. Octavia failed at not appearing to be eager by showing up to the class early. Manuela was in there wiping the blackboard clean. She looked over as Octavia entered.

“Ah! Your Highness!” she greeted. “Excuse my tardiness in making your acquaintance! Manuela.”

“Nice to meet you. I hope to learn a lot from you.”

Manuela blushed and giggled. “Oh, what a pleasure!”

Octavia gave her a small smile and sat down. She took out the coursebook from her bag. She had about ten minutes to read some of the material before the other students showed up.

“Um, is this seat taken?” a soft voice asked. Octavia scooted over on the bench and let the girl sit down. She did continue to glare at the book, hoping to make sense of it. She leaned her elbow on the table and sighed in frustration. Where did the magic come out of? How the hell did you summon the stuff? Can anyone learn magic? What if she was simply unable for it?

“Now students, I hope we’ve all given Miss Sorena a warm welcome!” Manuela said, cheerfully. The students mumbled a kind of response. She introduced the topic and began reading from the book. Octavia watched in horror as she scrawled “runes” onto the board.

“Now! I want you to get into pairs- OH! You are already in pairs! Oh, Octavia you are a delightful addition to the class.”

A box-shaped object was set onto their table. A purple cloth covered it. Manuela continued chattering away, waving a silver pointer about.

“I’m the Octavia she keeps mentioning,” Octavia greeted her partner, who blushed.

“Um, Marianne.”

“Okay! Lift the cover!” Manuela instructed. Since Marianne did not move, Octavia leaned forward and pulled the purple cloth back to reveal a cage. Within the cage was a white fluffy rabbit!

“Aww,” Octavia found herself gushed.

“Yes! Adorable!” Manuela chuckled. “But these poor dears have injuries! It is up to you and your partner to help them!”

Octavia opened the cage, reached in and gingerly picked up the little bundle. She placed it on the table. It wiggled its pink nose.

“I wonder what’s wrong, it looks okay?” she frowned.

“It’s his leg,” Marianne said, quietly.

“Oh okay…”

Octavia turned to the book and stared at the scribbles. She hoped Marianne would suggest something, but she didn’t. When Octavia looked back at her, the girl’s eyes were welled up and sure to burst. Octavia doesn’t know what came over her but she placed a hand on her shoulder. She flinched at her touch but didn’t shrug her off.

“He’s in pain,” she whispered.

“Don’t worry! We can fix him up and he’ll be hopping with his friends soon enough!”

He? How was she so sure it was a he? And why was Octavia suddenly caring about a project?

“Er… any ideas?” she pushed.

“Well.. I do know one spell…”

Marianne spoke so silently that Octavia found herself leaning toward her, probably crossing past her comfort zone. 

“Okay! What is it?”

“It mends broken bones, but it is painful…”

Octavia nodded slowly. There was a sudden burst of squealing behind her. It was a coming from a brown rabbit on another student’s table. Marianne flinched, scrunching her shoulders up to her ears.

“HA! We have success!” the blonde student exclaimed. So excited was she that she leaped to her feet. Her pink haired partner leaned lazily on the table, looking uninterested. Manuela went to them to discuss.

Octavia flicked through the pages of the book.

“This spell here numbs pain… maybe casting this first would be better?”

“Y-yes,” Marianne replied. Octavia nodded...agreeing with herself. She folded her hands on the table and looked at the rabbit. Marianne did not move.

“Uhm, sorry,” she murmured. “I don’t want to mess things up.”

“Marianne, I can’t make magic.”

Marianne blinked at her.

“I don’t know how to get it out.”

“G-get it out of what?”

“I don’t know... out of me?”

“O-okay.”

“I can read though! Well, the bits that are not scribbled. How about I read you through and you do the magic.”

“Y-yes. That sounds good!”

Manuela stopped by their table while Octavia read out the instructions and smiled, so they must be doing something right. Soon enough, the little bunny was on his feet again doing little hops around the table. Marianne giggled, pleased with their work. They then wrote down their report together. Mostly Octavia did because Marianne had done most of the work. Even then she was asking Marianne the correct terms and spellings. They handed in their report and class was dismissed.

***

That night Octavia retreated to her room. She had a good bit of homework and at least no one could come to her room and interrogate her like they could in the library. She could finally pull her thick hair from her ponytail and let it hang loose. She massaged her tense scalp and hummed. Time to get to work. She opened the tome on white magic and began reading. There was a knock on the door. She had spoken too soon. She pushed her chair back and opened the door. It was Leonie and Petra.

“Hi! We are having a party!”

“Not a party, but a small gathering. In Hilda’s room. You’ll come right?”

“I have a lot of homework…”

“Oh! We are all have… having much homework, but also we are having time to be doing it!”

“Please?”

Octavia sighed, but she could already feel a smile break on her face. The girls giggled and stepped back to let her out. They led the way to Hilda’s room. Her door had a big “GIRLS ONLY” sign pinned to it. Leonie knocked a knock that seemed like code. Hilda flung the door open.

“OOOOOOOOOH” she squealed. “YOUR HAIR! LEMME BRUSH!”

Hilda grabbed Octavia’s arms and dragged her into the room. Octavia was told to sit on a cushion beside Hilda’s bed. The pink-haired girl sat crossed legged behind her and procured a brush. How informal, Octavia thought. She was glad to see Marianne was there, although she was sitting on the window, distracted by the raindrops trickling down the windowpane. Ingrid, Dorothea, Mercedes and Annette were also present.

“Is Lady Edelgard coming?” Octavia question.

“Pssshhh, Goddess I hope not!” Dorothea said, uncorking a square bottle. The brown liquid glugged into a tumbler. “She would disapprove!”

“I asked Lysithea, she made some excuses but might join us later. Might,” Hilda sighed. She began humming, lost in the ebony waves of Octavia’s hair. Dorothea held out the glass full of liquid. Octavia sniffed it.

“Is this…?”

“Yes, it is. You’ve had a loooong day, girl.”

“That obvious is it?” Octavia sighed, taking a sip. It burned on the way down, but it was soothing. “This is against the rules isn’t it?”

“Yes. But you’ve sipped, so no turning back now!” Dorothea giggled. She pointed to Mercedes who waved her hand. Dorothea nodded and moved on to Annette who gave a thumbs up. Octavia was glad they weren’t entering into a peer pressuring zone. 

“I am sorry for Felix,” Ingrid said sheepishly. Dorothea held out a glass to her. Ingrid considered. Dorothea gave her an ‘I know you want to’ look and she accepted.

“It’s not your fault,” Octavia frowned. “Besides, I’ll show him on the battlefield.”

“I do feel responsible for him... and for Sylvain.”

Octavia openly laughed. “What’s up with him?”

“Don’t even start,” the room chorused, followed by a burst of giggles.

“How do you feel about being put with Dimitri?” Hilda asked. There was something devious in her voice.

“So strange that we’re working outside our houses,” Leonie mused.

“It will be fun!” Mercedes chirped.

“Yeah but-”

“I’m asking Octavia a question,” Hilda said, pointedly though lightheartedly. Leonie’s mouth fell into an ‘o’ shape. 

“I think we’ll do well. I like our strategy, right Petra, Leonie?”

They saw what Octavia was trying to do and nodded vigorously.

“Oh, yes, we’ll definitely get a better report than all of you.”

“We shall be seizing victory!”

“UGH! I don’t care about reports!” Hilda said, outraged. “I wanna know do you think he’s cuuuuute.”

“Did you just gather us here to chat about boys?”

“We can chat about girls too, but most of us are here and that’d be just plain rude!”

There was a knock on the door. The girls fell silent, looking around the room.

“Oh right,” a muffled voice said. They knocked again, but this time used the correct pattern. Annette pulled the door open.

“AHA! We have arrived!” the blonde girl announced. She held up two unopened bottles. Octavia recognised the pair as the same from the class with Manuela.

“Shhhhh keep your voice down!”

“I’m surprised the boys haven’t sniffed us out yet!”

Constance and pyjama clad Hapi scurried into the room and found somewhere to sit.

“Anyway, back to the topic at hand,” Hilda continued. Octavia rolled her eyes.

“If you had to choose a house, based on our darling leaders who would you pick?”

“Ughhhh…”

This was definitely the most uncomfortable interrogation so far.

“Oh, Hilda, give the girl a break!” Dorethea laughed. Oh thank God, someone was on her side. “Let’s play a game! Ingrid did you bring the cards?”

Ingrid’s palm thumped her forehead.

“Oh no. Oh no, I left them in my room.”

“Well, girl, looks like you have a mission!”

Dorothea cleared her throat. She grabbed one of Hilda’s dust-gathering books and held it open limply like a scroll. 

“Your mission, this MINUTE, is to sneak back to your room. Be wary of boys ESPECIALLY Sylvain. Failure to do so will incite anger amongst your peers!”

Ingrid groaned but agreed over the giggles in the room. She got up from her seat and peered down the hall to make sure it was all clear before dashing out.

“She’s totally going to get caught,” Dorothea sighed.

“She better not come back,” Hilda said, pursing her lips. Everyone looked at her. 

She rolled her eyes. “If she gets caught, obviously!”

The room fell into a state of small talk. Octavia was glad for it. No questions about where she was from, no talk of politics, crests, gods vs goddesses, just small simple things. Eventually, Ingrid came back with a deck of cards. Octavia had thought of leaving, but she was having fun so she accepted the second drink. They sat in a circle in the middle of the room, except for Hilda who found card games to be too much effort and decided on plating Octavia’s hair instead. Octavia admitted not understanding the game, there were rules on when and when not to drink and what each card meant.

“It’s truth or dare!” Annette explained.

“Oh God, I pick truth then.”

Hilda inhaled the room with a gasp, but because she was not playing she could not ask. She looked pleadingly at Dorothea.

“Okay,” Dorothea grinned, swiveling into a comfortable position. Octavia regretted everything but she was giddy, enjoying herself.

“Outside this room, if you had to, who would you kiss.”

“WHY WOULD YOU SAY OUTSIDE THIS ROOM?! Hilda exclaimed, falling back onto the bed.

“Outside the room will do!” Octavia squeaked.

“Fine, go ahead,” Hilda sighed, sitting back up.

“Uhhhmmm probably-”

The door flew open and Lysithea stormed in, slamming the door closed and pressing her body against it as if to hold it closed.

“Heyyy! Ever heard of knocking?” Hilda frowned, hands on hips.

“GH-GH-GHOST!” Lysithea screamed, flinging herself onto Hilda’s bed and scurrying to the far corner.

“What?”

The lights began to flicker.

“Very funny, Lysithea,” Leonie said, but she had scooted closer to Octavia.

“It’s not meeee,” she sobbed.

There was a tapping on the window. The lights went out.

“Oh fuck,” Mercedes whispered. Hearing her gentle friend curse made Annette giggle although nervously so.

“Did you hear that?” Marianne whimpered.

“Hear what?”

“Can we get the lights back on?”

“I’m trying!” Hilda said. She had moved from the bed to the wall. 

The door burst open and the lights flickered on and off. The girls screamed. Two ghosts were at the door. Fog rolled into the room.

“OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOH!”

“Wait a second!” Hapi said, standing up. She reached out and touched the ghosts, pulling down the sheets to reveal Casper and Sylvain.

“Seriously!” Ingrid yelled at them.

“I-I had nothing to do with it! It's just... those my sheets!” Ignatz said behind the two guffawing boys. Octavia placed her hand on her heart, releasing Leonie from her grip. Hilda was standing by the door, her hand on her head. They quickly realised that when the door opened it had walloped her, hard. She slowly lowered her hand, revealing a red mark. Sylvain’s cheeks puffed out in an attempt to contain his laughter but Casper’s eyes widened...with fear.

“CLAAAAUUUUDEE!” Hilda bellowed.

“Oh shit,” Sylvain swore as he and Casper leaped out of the way. The girls all looked at each other.

“I have to see this,” Leonie said, getting onto her feet. They all piled out of the room into the hallway. Hilda was dragging Claude out of the adjacent room by the ear.

“YOU REALLY THOUGHT YOU COULD PULL THIS OFF AND HIDE?! YOU THINK I’M STUPID ENOUGH TO THINK THOSE TWO BOZOS COULD CARRY OUT SOMETHING LIKE THIS?! LOOK AT MY HEAD! LOOK AT IT!”

Claude held his hands up in self-defense, but he was laughing, which only angered her more.

“I couldn’t pass the opportunity!”

The small gathering parted as she stormed back into her room. The girls made mumblings of having to go to bed and slowly, they dispersed. Claude caught Octavia’s eye and shrugged. She rolled hers and followed Hilda into the room. She had her arm around the shaken Lysithia who had not come out to see the scene. Octavia started picking the cards up off the floor.

The boys stood sheepishly at the door.

“Sorry Lysithia,” Claude mumbled, scratching the back of his head.

“You guys can clean up the mess,” Hilda snapped. Octavia looked at Hilda and dropped the cards, making it worse. She could tell she appreciated it. The boys, including poor roped in Ignatz, came into the room and began cleaning. Octavia started to leave.

“Shit,” she said, closing the door. “Seteth’s coming.”

“You’re joking!” Hilda whispered. “Hide! Hide you idiots! You too O!”

Octavia threw the wardrobe acting closet door open.

“Bring the bottles!!! HURRY!”

They all squeezed into the tiny space.

“Close the door!”

“I’m trying!” Ignatz whined. The bottles in Claude’s arms rattled. 

“That’s my foot!” Casper snarled.

“Sorry”

“This is cozy isn’t it?”

“Shut up, Sylvain.”

There was a knock on the door and they took a collective breath and held it.

“Come in!” Hilda chirped.

“Hil- Lysithea! What are you doing in here?” Seteth demanded.

“Poor Lysithea had a nightmare, sir,” Hilda replied innocently. There was no response. Octavia was afraid to swallow in case he heard. Clearly he was checking the room for clues of disobedience. She was uncomfortable, what with the sticky bottles pressing into her and Sylvain’s breath hot on her neck.

“Very well, return when you feel more at ease.”

He left. They didn’t dare move. After what felt like hours, Hilda opened the wardrobe.

“Ok he’s gone. Oooh, Octavia you lucky girl!”

Her sense of humour had returned at least. They fumbled out of the wardrobe and into the room. 

They looked over to check on Lysithea.

She blink once before bursting into a fit of laughter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I fangirled the whole way through writing this.  
> In my mind, they have electricity I'm not dealin with candles  
> Hope you enjoyed! Stay safe!

**Author's Note:**

> Yes Octavia speaks perfect Fodhlanese (?) I was not going to type like Petra forever haha  
> Since I'm only getting back into the swing of fanfiction I haven't decided updates but as long as I have fun there will be more!


End file.
